WALES

NATO Summit 2014: Newport

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the benefits to Wales arising from the Government’s hosting of the 2014 NATO summit at Newport.

David Jones: I am delighted that we will be hosting the NATO summit in Newport next autumn. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Wales on a global stage.

SCOTLAND

Common Agricultural Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on reform of the common agricultural policy.

David Mundell: There have been no recent discussions with the First Minister on CAP reform. I hold regular discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment in the Scottish Government who has lead portfolio responsibility for CAP reform.

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland to which EU Directives within his Department's areas of responsibility the Government has formally opted into in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive was signed; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Details of all EU directives that the UK has opted into pursuant to protocol 21 to the treaties on the functioning of the European Union since May 2010 are listed on the Government's JHA opt-in web page. The website can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206297/2JHA_opt-in_webpage_update—data_v0l.pdf
	In the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington)’s written ministerial statement of 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, the Government committed to a number of measures to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of JHA measures, in particular to make written statements to Parliament on each opt-in decision and to set aside Government time for debates in both Houses in circumstances where there is particularly strong parliamentary interest in an opt-in decision.

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what EU Directives within his Department's areas of responsibility have come into force without the need for an opt-in decision in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive came into force; and if he will make a statement.

David Mundell: Details of all EU legislation, including full details of all EU directives that have come into force since May 2010, can be found on the Commission's website:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/RECH_legislation.do
	The Government's position is that the UK's Justice and Home Affairs opt-in applies to all measures adopted pursuant to title V of part three of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union, as set out in protocol 21 to the treaty on the functioning of the European Union. It follows that the opt-in does not apply to measures adopted that are not pursuant to title V of part three of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union.

Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many private sector employees have been seconded by the private sector to his Department; what the name was of the company from which they were seconded; and whether any of those employees have worked on drafting legislation.

David Mundell: No employees have been seconded by the private sector to the Scotland Office.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Qualifications

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people employed by her Department hold a (a) bachelor's, (b) master's and (c) PhD-level degree in computer science; and if she will make a statement.

Andrew Robathan: This information is not held centrally by my Department. To obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum applicants have remained in the UK in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: We do not hold this information in the format requested. Failed asylum applicants do not always inform the Home Office prior to leaving the United Kingdom and so it is not possible to quantify the number that have left the UK without being removed.

Badgers: Animal Welfare

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports have been received by police of alleged illegal gassing of badgers in each of the last five years; and what (a) investigations and (b) prosecutions have arisen from such reports.

Damian Green: holding answer 15 October 2013
	The Home Office does not collate this information centrally.

Bicycles: Theft

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bicycles have been reported stolen in each year between 2003 and 2013; and if she will introduce a national microchipping scheme to assist the return of stolen bicycles to their owners.

Norman Baker: Data on police recorded crime are published by the Office for National Statistics on a quarterly basis. Police recorded crime figures on bicycle thefts for financial years 2002-03 to 2012-13 are provided in the following table.
	There are a number of commercial property marking systems available for use by members of the public which use a variety of different marking systems including microchips. Most police forces recommend recording any unique identification numbers and marking property or taking photographs of property that cannot be marked easily or without damage.
	The Government has no plans to introduce a national microchipping scheme.
	
		
			 Table A: Police recorded crime, bicycle theft, 2002-03 to 2012-13, England and Wales 
			 Offence 2002-03(1,2) 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Bicycle theft 97,755 105,467 105,953 113,192 110,526 104,000 104,169 109,847 108,962 115,902 97,291 
			 (1) The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced in April 2002, although some forces adopted NCRS practices before the standard was formally introduced. Figures before and after that date are not directly comparable. The introduction of NCRS led to a rise in recording in 2002-03 and, particularly for violent crime, in the following years as forces continued to improve compliance with the new standard. (2) Includes the British Transport Police from 2002-3 onwards. Source: Police recorded crime, Home Office Taken from Table A4 of ‘Crime in England and Wales, year ending March 2013’ published by ONS and available online: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-march-2013/index.html

British Nationality

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for citizenship were concluded (a) within six months, (b) between six and nine months, (c) between nine and 12 months and (d) after more than 12 months, in each of the last three years.

Mark Harper: The information requested is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Within six months Between six and nine months Between nine and 12 months Over 12 months 
			 2010-11 203,112 1,694 355 516 
			 2011-12 180,539 2,368 702 537 
			 2012-13 200,973 2,991 860 814 
			 Notes: 1. Reflects cases decided in each financial year. 2. These data have not previously been published in this format.

Community Orders

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she had made of the implementation of the community resolution scheme in combating crime in local communities; and if she will make a statement. [R]

Norman Baker: As announced by the Justice Secretary on 29 September, the Coalition Government intends shortly to carry out a review of all out of court disposals. This review will include community resolutions and will seek views on the impact all out of court disposals have on cutting crime.

Council of Europe Convention On Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 November 2013
	I refer the Right Honourable Member to the reply given on 12 November 2013, Official Report, column 541W.

Domestic Violence

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of the reorganisation of services for victims of domestic abuse and violence on the quality of provision for victims.

Norman Baker: Decisions on how to fund services for victims of domestic violence are best addressed at a local level based on the needs of local communities. Local authorities have to make some tough spending decisions, but I strongly encourage councils to bear in mind the needs of vulnerable individuals when deciding their budget priorities.
	The Home Office recently hosted two events to highlight the importance of commissioning services for victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Drugs: Misuse

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when (a) she and (b) Ministers discussed the control of new psychoactive substances with (i) Ministers from other EU member states and (b) European Commissioners in the last 12 months.

Norman Baker: holding answer 19 June 2013
	Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-office

Drugs: Misuse

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on psychoactive substances;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with the devolved Administrations to prescribe psychoactive substances.

Norman Baker: Home Office Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery.
	Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website:
	http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-office

Energy

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress she has made on improving the energy efficiency of her Department.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office published its 2012-13 sustainability report in October 2013. This provides details of what the Department, and its arm’s length bodies, are doing to improve energy efficiency.
	The report can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainability-report-2012-2013

Entry Clearances

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many landlords have contacted the UK Border Agency regarding tenants with visa irregularities in each of the last five years.

Mark Harper: holding answer 6 November 2013
	While it is not uncommon to receive questions, concerns and indeed allegations the Home Office does not collect specific information on the number of landlords contacting the Home Office regarding tenants with an uncertain immigration status.
	The Immigration Bill before Parliament makes provision for landlords to be required to check on the immigration status of tenants.
	Landlords with a tenant in-situ who subsequently finds that the tenant is illegally here will be able to report the matter to the Home Office and this information would be collected to secure a statutory excuse from a future penalty for these landlords.

Female Genital Mutilation

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland of 11 September 2013, Official Report, column 744W, on female genital mutilation, when the Home Office Inter-Ministerial Group on Violence against Women and Girls has met since May 2010; and which (a) Government Ministers and (b) civil servants attended each such meeting.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 November 2013
	The Violence Against Women and Girls Inter-Ministerial Group is chaired by the Secretary of State for the Home Department and meets quarterly. Since May 2010 the group has met on the following dates:
	
		
			  Dates 
			 2010 21 July, 19 October, 15 December 
			 2011 9 February, 14 June, 19 October and 14 December 
			 2012 14 March, 1 November 
			 2013 6 February, 4 June 
		
	
	For attendance details, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne) gave to the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Stella Creasy) on 3 June 2013, Official Report, columns 920-21W.

Foreign Travel Orders

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign travel orders have been issued in each of the last six years.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 November 2013
	The number of foreign travel orders issued in England and Wales is published annually in the Ministry of Justice's Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements Annual Report. The most recent report was published on 31 October 2013. Figures for the last six years are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2006-07 3 
			 2007-08 1 
			 2008-09 12 
			 2009-10 15 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 22 
			 2011-12 14 
			 2012-13 13 
		
	
	The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and this Government is committed to ensuring that the system is as robust as it can be. That is why in October we tabled amendments to the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill which reform the civil orders that can be imposed on sex offenders and those who pose a risk.

Human Trafficking

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been collected under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 from those convicted of human trafficking in each of the last three years; and how much of this sum has been paid to victims of trafficking by way of compensation.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 24 June 2013
	The value of confiscation orders enforced against those convicted for human trafficking offences in England and Wales in each of the last three years, as recorded on the Joint Asset Recovery Database, is as follows:
	
		
			  Total value of confiscation orders enforced (£) 
			 2010-11 895,154.31 
			 2011-12 196,992.48 
			 2012-13 995,035.92 
		
	
	These figures relate to all money collected in 2010-13 regardless of when the order was made and so include confiscation orders linked to human trafficking made prior to 2010.
	A human trafficker may, as an alternative, be charged and prosecuted for a different offence, such as prostitution or money laundering, which could incur a confiscation order and is not reflected in the information above.
	The proportion of funds paid to victims of trafficking by way of compensation is not held centrally.

Human Trafficking

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been received under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 from those convicted of human trafficking in the last three years; and how much has been paid out to the victims of human trafficking by way of compensation.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 25 June 2013
	The value of confiscation orders enforced against those convicted for human trafficking offences in England and Wales in each of the last three years, as recorded on the Joint Asset Recovery Database, is as follows:
	
		
			  Total value of confiscation orders enforced (£) 
			 2010-11 895,154.31 
			 2011-12 196,992.48 
			 2012-13 995,035.92 
		
	
	These figures relate to all money collected in 2010-13 regardless of when the order was made and so include confiscation orders linked to human trafficking made prior to 2010.
	A human trafficker may, as an alternative, be charged and prosecuted for a different offence, such as prostitution or money laundering, which could incur a confiscation order and is not reflected in the information above.
	The proportion of funds paid to victims of trafficking by way of compensation is not held centrally.

Human Trafficking

Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been gathered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 from those convicted of human trafficking in each of the last three years; and how much has been paid out in compensation to victims of trafficking.

James Brokenshire: The value of confiscation orders enforced against those convicted for human trafficking offences in England and Wales in each of the last three years, as recorded on the Joint Asset Recovery Database, is as follows:
	
		
			  Total value of confiscation-orders enforced (£) 
			 2010-11 895,154.31 
			 2011-12 196,992.48 
			 2012-13 995,035.92 
		
	
	These figures relate to all money collected in 2010-13 regardless of when the order was made and so include confiscation orders linked to human trafficking made prior to 2010.
	A human trafficker may, as an alternative, be charged and prosecuted for a different offence, such as prostitution or money laundering, which could incur a confiscation order and is not reflected in the information above.
	The proportion off funds paid to victims of trafficking by way of compensation is not held centrally.

Immigration

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she intends to take following the decision of 7 November 2013 of Mr Justice Mostyn in the case of AB v. the Home Secretary.

Mark Harper: holding answer 18 November 2013
	The matter has been referred by Mr Justice Mostyn to the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney-General and we await the outcome of their consideration.
	The service provider G4S is conducting an investigation.

Immigration: Applications

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the case of the hon. Member for Monmouth's constituent Mrs Natalia Korchagina, reference number K16886001.

Mark Harper: I wrote to my hon. Friend separately on this individual case on 18 November 2013.

Kings Science Academy

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau decided in April 2013 not to take any further action in investigating financial irregularities at the King's Science Academy in Bradford; and for what reasons it has now decided to take further actions to investigate the those reported irregularities.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 7 November 2013
	The National Fraud Investigation Bureau (NFIB) assesses reports it receives from Action Fraud and other organisations and makes a decision on whether to disseminate crime packages to law enforcement agencies. It is not an investigative body itself. In the King's Science Academy case, the report was passed from Action Fraud to the NFIB for assessment in the usual way. However, an administrative error led to the report being categorised as an information report, rather than a crime report, before it was sent to the NFIB for assessment. This error lead to a delay in the report being disseminated to West Yorkshire police who are currently undertaking an investigation.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 1 October 2013, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss Majula Jaiteh.

Mark Harper: My noble Friend Lord Taylor Of Holbeach Minister for Criminal Information, replied on my behalf on 18 November 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to her dated 30 September 2013, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Fowsya Ahmed Haji.

Mark Harper: The Director General of Border Force, Sir Charles Montgomery, wrote to right hon. Member on 14 November 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she intends to reply to the letter to the Minister of State for Immigration dated 30 September 2013, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr M Zaman.

Mark Harper: My noble Friend, Lord Taylor of Holbeach, Minister for Criminal Information, replied on my behalf on 18 November 2013.

Police: Firearms

Ian Swales: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the cost to the police of gun licences.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 November 2013
	The former Association of Chief Police Officers has previously assessed the cost of gun licences. They estimated that the cost to the taxpayer was £17.2 million in the year 2009-10. We are working with police and shooting organisations to consider licensing fees in the long term. It is important that we achieve a balance between an efficient system and fair fee level.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to provide a substantive answer to questions 174377, 174379 and 174381, tabled on 4 November for named day answer on 8 November 2013.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 November 2013
	I provided a substantive answer to these questions on 12 November 2013.

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports she has received on the sexual abuse of women at Yarl's Wood detention centre; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) completed an unannounced visit to Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre in June and found the centre to be safe. Following allegations of abuse, the inspectors returned to the centre and conducted more than 50 confidential interviews about safety and treatment by staff with detainees they randomly selected. Their published report states that they found no evidence that a wider culture of victimisation or systematic abuse had developed.
	Bedfordshire police are investigating the allegations made by an individual and the Home Office is offering full assistance to that investigation.

TRANSPORT

Bus Lanes

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to oppose the creation of non-contra flow 24-hour bus lanes where there is no 24-hour bus service.

Robert Goodwill: Decisions on bus lane operating hours are rightly taken by the local highway authority, using their knowledge of local factors such as bus timetable frequency and patterns of traffic congestion.

Electric Vehicles

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make the subsidy for electric and hybrid electric vehicles conditional upon vehicle manufacturers installing noise generating devices known as acoustic vehicle alerting systems on such vehicles.

Robert Goodwill: Negotiations at a European level regarding the mandatory fitment of artificial noise generators to electric and hybrid electric vehicles are still ongoing, we do not at this stage envisage making the eligibility of plug-in grants for low carbon cars and vans dependent on noise alerts. However we invite all those with an interest to feed into our recently launched call for evidence, available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/measures-to-support-uptake-of-ultra-low-emission-vehicles-from-2015-to-2020
	through which we will be looking at how the current consumer incentive will develop in the period 2015-20.

Motor Vehicles: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has commissioned or reviewed into the impact of potholes and poor road surfaces on vehicle maintenance costs.

Robert Goodwill: The Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme, which the Department for Transport is sponsoring, was launched in April 2011. One of the initiatives undertaken by the programme was a pothole review which looked at potholes not only from an engineering perspective but the impact of long-term maintenance strategies, decision-making arrangements, the processes of reporting, prioritising and repairing potholes, guidance and wider operational arrangements. The pothole review report was published in April 2012 and the report can be found at the following weblink:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/potholes-review-prevention-and-a-better-cure
	In addition a follow up report was published on 11 July 2013 which highlights progress being made and how the recommendations from the 2012 report are now starting to be embedded by the sector. This can be found at the following weblink:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/hmep/docs/potholesreview0913final-01.pdf
	The Department for Transport has just commissioned a project to assess the costs and benefits of highways maintenance expenditure. It is expected the project will help local highway authorities demonstrate the value for money and efficiency of investment in highway maintenance, as well as obtaining wider understanding of the relationship between road condition and economic benefits such as disruption, increased user costs and vehicle wear and tear.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will consider increasing the frequency of resurfacing trunk roads in order to reduce the need for reactive maintenance such as filling potholes.

Robert Goodwill: The Highways Agency has a comprehensive road inspection and maintenance programme to maintain safe roads and to reduce the potential for potholes and other surface defects. As part of their maintenance plan, in order to minimise disruption to the road users and maximise service life of road surfaces, all surfacing proposals are examined thoroughly to yield optimum service life based on whole life cost principles and affordability.
	However, the Government recognises the need for continued investment in the strategic road network. In the 2013 spending round, a significant investment for roads was announced, with more than £4 billion allocated to the Highways Agency to enable them to resurface the vast majority of the national network by 2020-21.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Staff

Frank Field: To ask the right hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross representing the House of Commons Commission, how many people the House of Commons (a) directly employs and (b) employs via an agency; how many people in each category earn above the London living wage; and if he will make a statement.

John Thurso: The London living wage was increased from £8.55 per hour to £8.80 per hour on 4 November 2013. As at 30 September 2013 (the last date for which data are available), there were 1,761 members of staff directly employed by the House of Commons Commission all of whom earn more than the new London living wage.
	In addition, there are typically some 30 agency staff engaged across the House. 10 of those earn above the new London living wage already, and the remainder received rises to at least the new level on 18 November 2013. The House has applied for accreditation as a Living Wage Employer and in future all agency staff will be paid the London living wage.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Middle East

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote freedom of religion and religious plurality in the Middle East.

Hugh Robertson: The Government is committed to supporting the fundamental human right to freedom of religion or belief. Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the basis of our position. We support this right in the Middle East by: raising concerns with Government interlocutors; building international consensus around freedom of religion or belief; supporting practical projects on community dialogue; and engaging with civil society and faith groups.
	In September 2013 at the UN General Assembly my right hon. and noble Friend, Baroness Warsi, convened a group of Foreign Ministers and officials from international organisations. This was the second in a series of meetings to discuss international efforts to fight against violence in the name of religion, and to promote freedom of religion and belief for all. We intend this as an ongoing initiative to build greater political will to tackle this issue in the countries where it matters most.
	Against a backdrop of deep and difficult challenges facing minority communities, the Government is working hard to support the building of societies in the Middle East and North Africa which respect human rights, the rule of law, and the equality and opportunity of all citizens. To this end, we support long-term political and economic reform in the region through the Arab Partnership, which includes a £110 million fund over 2011-15.

DEFENCE

Defence Equipment and Support

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many meetings he has had with representatives of employees working at Defence Equipment and Support to discuss the proposals in the Defence Reform Bill.

Philip Dunne: The reform of Defence acquisition has been discussed at meetings between Ministers and trade union representatives of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) staff, most recently at a meeting with the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), in September 2013. Senior DE&S officials also hold regular meetings with the trade unions at which defence acquisition reform is discussed.

Defence: Procurement

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessments have been made of the effect of defence procurement privatisation on the support and services currently provided to (a) the armed forces and (b) front-line troops.

Philip Dunne: The purpose of defence acquisition reform is to improve how defence equipment is procured and supported for our armed forces and the front line. The materiel strategy programme is currently in the assessment phase and is considering two options, DE&S+ and a Government owned contractor operated model. The ability of each option to deliver an improved acquisition and support organisation is a critical factor in that decision.

Defence: Procurement

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether companies within consortia bidding for defence procurement contracts considered high risk, due to previous failings with public sector contracts, will be excluded from bidding.

Philip Dunne: All procurements are managed in accordance with the Government's Strategic Supplier Risk Management Policy.

Defence: Procurement

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the possible risks to UK intellectual property rights of the privatisation of defence procurement.

Philip Dunne: Protection of intellectual property is a critical consideration in the reform of defence acquisition. The legislation contained in the Defence Reform Bill and the draft contract between the Ministry of Defence and any Government owned contractor operated (GOCO) provider will provide sufficient protection for intellectual property should the GOCO option be selected.

Trident Submarines

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each of the contracts currently placed by his Department to develop a replacement for the Trident nuclear submarine which is covered by commercial confidentiality restrictions on disclosure of contract details.

Philip Dunne: There is a standard Defence Condition (DEFCON 521) on the disclosure of information that is mandated for all Ministry of Defence (MOD) contracts. This condition places duties of confidentiality on both parties to the contract, but makes clear that the MOD is required to comply with its statutory duties. When requests are received for contract details, decisions on their disclosure are made on a case by case basis, taking account of the commercial sensitivity, as well as other applicable exemptions and exceptions.
	The list of contracts to develop the replacement for the Trident nuclear submarine will take time to prepare. I will write, to the extent possible, while not breaching commercial confidentiality or national security considerations, to the hon. Member with this information.

WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

Domestic Violence

Helen Jones: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what evidence her Department holds on the effect of recent changes in the levels of voluntary sector grants made by local authorities on women's refuges and services for victims of domestic violence.

Norman Baker: holding answer 12 November 2013
	I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	Decisions about provision of local services for victims of domestic violence are a local matter and it is the responsibility of individual local authorities to identify any gaps in service provision and put appropriate solutions in place. I strongly encourage local authorities to bear in mind the needs of vulnerable individuals when deciding their budget priorities. The Home Office recently hosted two events to highlight the importance of commissioning services for victims of domestic and sexual violence.

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities to which EU directives within the Government Equalities Office's areas of responsibility the Government has formally opted into in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive was signed; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Grant: Details of all EU directives that the UK has opted into pursuant to protocol 21 to the treaties on the functioning of the European Union since May 2010 are listed on the Government's JHA opt-in web page. The website can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206297/2_JHA_opt-in_webpage_update_-_data_v0_1.pdf
	In the Minister for Europe, the right hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington)’s written ministerial statement of 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, the Government committed to a number of measures to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of JHA measures, in particular to make written statements to Parliament on each opt-in decision and to set aside Government time for debates in both Houses in circumstances where there is particularly strong parliamentary interest in an opt-in decision.

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what EU Directives within the Government Equalities Office's areas of responsibility have come into force without the need for an opt-in decision in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive came into force; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Grant: Details of all EU legislation, including full details of all EU directives that have come into force since May 2010, can be found on the Commission's website:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/RECH_legislation.do
	The Government's position is that the UK's Justice and Home Affairs opt-in applies to all measures adopted pursuant to Title V of part three of the treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, as set out in protocol 21 to the treaty on the functioning of the European Union. It follows that the opt-in does not apply to measures adopted that are not pursuant to Title V of part three of the treaty on the functioning of the European Union.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the recent report of the UN Special Rapporteur for housing on under-occupancy penalty.

Esther McVey: Government Ministers have expressed concerns about factual inaccuracies in the interim report and press statement.
	I understand the final report will be published in March 2014, after which the UK Government will provide an appropriate, formal commentary on its contents.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the under-occupancy penalty on social cohesion.

Esther McVey: Prior to implementation of the removal of the spare room subsidy we produced impact and equality impact assessments of the policy. It is, however, very difficult to determine behavioural effects in advance of policy roll-out.
	We are, therefore, undertaking an independent evaluation over two years in a range of geographical locations across Great Britain. It will include research on supply issues, rural areas, social networks and vulnerable individuals.

Unemployment: Disability

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the rate of worklessness for disabled people was in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.

Esther McVey: At Q2 (April to June) 2010, 54.3% of working age disabled people were either unemployed or economically inactive. At Q4 (September to December) 2012, 53.2% of working age disabled people were either unemployed or economically inactive.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Credit: Interest Rates

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether she plans to introduce restrictions on advertising by payday loan companies similar to those on the advertising of tobacco.

Sajid Javid: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Treasury.
	The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will take on regulatory powers in relation to payday loan companies' advertising in April, including the power to ban misleading financial promotions. The Government strongly welcomes the FCA's proposals, published on 3 October, to require that all payday loan adverts carry a risk warning and signpost to debt advice.
	The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also has powers over payday lenders' adverts. If an advert is potentially misleading or socially irresponsible, the ASA can ban it—as it has done with two payday lenders' adverts in the past six months.

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to which EU Directives within her Department's areas of responsibility the Government has formally opted into in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive was signed; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Grant: Details of all EU Directives that the UK has opted into pursuant to Protocol 21 to the Treaties on the Functioning of the European Union since May 2010 are listed on the Government's JHA opt-in web page.
	The website can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206297/2_JHA_opt-in_webpage_update_-_data_v0_l.pdf
	In the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), written ministerial statement of 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, the Government committed to a number of measures to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of JHA measures, in particular to make written statements to Parliament on each opt-in decision and to set aside Government time for debates in both Houses in circumstances where there is particularly strong parliamentary interest in an opt-in decision.

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what EU Directives within her Department's areas of responsibility have come into force without the need for an opt-in decision in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive came into force; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Grant: Details of all EU legislation, including full details of all EU Directives that have come into force since May 2010, can be found on the Commission's website:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/RECH_legislation.do
	The Government's position is that the UK's Justice and Home Affairs opt-in applies to all measures adopted pursuant to Title V of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, as set out in Protocol 21 to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It follows that the opt-in does not apply to measures adopted that are not pursuant to Title V of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many private sector employees have been seconded by the private sector to her Department; what the name was of the company from which they were seconded; and whether any of those employees have worked on drafting legislation.

Helen Grant: DCMS does not have any employees who are on secondment from the private sector.

Sports: Injuries

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with officials of association football, rugby union and rugby league making it a requirement that players receiving head injuries must be withdrawn from play as a precautionary measures; and if she will make a statement.

Helen Grant: DCMS takes player safety seriously in all sports. It is a matter for National Governing Bodies, as the designated authorities with responsibility to regulate their sport, and I would expect each NGB to make player safety their highest priority. The Sport England NGB Whole Sport Plan Standard Terms and Conditions in respect of statutory compliance include all relevant health and safety laws.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Energy

Ian Swales: To ask the Leader of the House what progress he has made on improving the energy efficiency of his Department.

Andrew Lansley: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. Our answer will be included in the response by the Minister for the Cabinet Office, shortly.

EDUCATION

Vocational Training

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding his Department has allocated to traineeships in 2013-14; and from which departmental funding streams such funding will be delivered.

Matthew Hancock: There is not a defined budget for traineeships, because as he should know, we fund per pupil on the basis of their choices, not in some Stalinist predict and provide dystopia.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Fracking

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make it his policy that the approval by a mineral planning authority of an application for a fracking rig installation is dependent on the consent of the lowest local authority planning level.

Nicholas Boles: Responsibility for determining planning applications lies with the local planning authority. In a two-tier area, the local planning authority for minerals is the county council. District councils must be consulted over any planning application. We have no plans to change this long-standing division of responsibility between district and county councils.

Homelessness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were homeless in (a) May 2010 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

Kris Hopkins: To assist the hon. Member and to place the figures in context, I have tabled as follows statistics for the last 10 years.
	
		
			  Homelessness acceptances during the year 
			 2003 135,590 
			 2004 127,760 
			 2005 100,170 
			 2006 76,860 
			 2007 64,970 
			 2008 57,510 
			 2009 41,780 
			 2010 42,390 
			 2011 48,510 
			 2012 53,450 
			 2013 (1)— 
			 (1) Not yet available. 
		
	
	I would note that homelessness is lower now than in 27 of the last 30 years. This Government has retained a strong homelessness safety net protected in law, supported by £470 million in the current spending review period to prevent and tackle homelessness, rough sleeping and repossessions.
	We have also made some common sense changes to the rules under the Localism Act to enable local authorities to help households move more quickly into a settled home. This means households will no longer need to be placed in temporary accommodation while they wait for social housing to become available.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number of people who have used the Government's Help to Buy scheme in (a) Dorset and (b) England to date.

Kris Hopkins: The Help to Buy equity loan scheme is a demand led scheme, which we anticipate will help up to 74,000 households into home ownership with investment of over £3.7 billion over the next three years. The scheme is proving extremely popular and in the first six months alone has helped over 15,000 households reserve a newly built home.
	Publication of Help to Buy: equity loan sales data are governed by the UK Statistical Authority's Code of Practice for Official Statistics. My Department will be publishing data on sales in accordance with the code of practice on 21 November.
	The Help to Buy mortgage guarantee scheme is overseen by HM Treasury. On 11 November, the Government announced that 2,384 applications had been accepted in the first month of the scheme.

Parking

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will publish his advice to local authorities on the need for adequate parking and the desirability of free parking or low parking charges in towns and cities; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local authorities should seek to improve the quality of parking in town centres, that they should set appropriate parking charges that do not undermine the vitality of town centres, and that parking enforcement should be proportionate. We have recently published draft guidance on the Framework in beta stressing the important role appropriate parking facilities can play in rejuvenating shops, high streets and town centres and making clear planning rules should not be used to tax drivers. We are currently considering the comments received on the guidance.
	The Government wants to make it easier for people to park easily and cheaply, and to encourage the spread of best practice on supporting town centres and we have announced that we intend to bring forward proposals for consultation.

JUSTICE

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice to which EU Directives within his Department's areas of responsibility the Government has formally opted into in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive was signed; and if he will make a statement.

Shailesh Vara: Details of all EU directives that the UK has opted into pursuant to protocol 21 to the treaties on the functioning of the European Union since May 2010 are listed on the Government's JHA opt-in web page. The website can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206297/2_JHA_opt-in_webpage_update_-_data_v()_1.pdr
	In the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington)’s written ministerial statement of 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, the Government committed to a number of measures to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of JHA measures, in particular to make written statements to Parliament on each opt-in decision and to set aside Government time for debates in both Houses in circumstances where there is particularly strong parliamentary interest in an opt-in decision.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 7 October 2013, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr R Hamilton.

Shailesh Vara: I have replied to the right hon. Member on 18 October 2013.

Prisoners: ICT

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners of each age group and gender who cannot use (a) a computer and (b) the internet; and how such figures change according to (i) sentence left to serve and (ii) prison category.

Jeremy Wright: No such estimate has been made.
	The Virtual Campus, a secure web-based interactive learning tool, is available in 95 prisons and has 30,000 registered users. Our 30 Prisons ICT Academies offer specialist IT skills training in building and maintaining computer networks and using Microsoft Office applications.
	My hon. Friend will be aware from my answer to a previous question he asked (165443, on 8 October 2013, Official Report, column 79W) that the training provided in IT skills takes place in a controlled environment and with very restricted access to the internet.
	The Government is committed to improving education in prison and we are working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Skills Funding Agency to develop prisoner learning.

Prisoners: Sexual Offences

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners convicted of sexual offences have been released from prison without having received treatment for their offending behaviour in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Wright: In addition to those offenders who receive specific-accredited programmes aimed at tackling sex offending, there are those who also receive other interventions to tackle their offending behaviour as part of their rehabilitation. This data is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information is collected on the number of offenders who start and complete accredited sex offender treatment programmes. Figures for programme starts and completions are published in the Accredited Programmes Annual Bulletin 2012/13:

Prisons: Closures

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much capital investment there has been in (a) HMP Askham Grange and (b) HMP East Sutton Park since 2010.

Jeremy Wright: The information is as follows:
	(a) Since 2010 there has been no major capital investment for HMP Askham Grange.
	(b) Since 2010 £0.8 million has been spent on essential major capital investment on a water main replacement for HMP East Sutton Park.
	This covers centrally funded capital expenditure only. Figures are rounded.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many times the Chief Executive of Essex Probation has met hon. Members since 2012; when and for what purpose such meetings took place; where each such meeting took place; what the duration of each meeting was; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what progress Essex Probation Trust has made on the Integrated Offender Management project; how much has been spent by Essex Probation Trust on this project to date; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will place in the Library a record of Essex Probation's government procurement card transactions indicating the (a) date, (b) merchant and (c) amount of each such transaction in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(4)  how many members of the public have attended each meeting of the Essex Probation Board in each of the last 12 months for which information is available; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the response to each request to Essex Probation made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 which was agreed to and answered in (a) full and (b) part since October 2012; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: The information requested is not collected centrally and could not be obtained within the time scale. I will write to my hon. Friend in due course.

Probation: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many (a) men and (b) women in each age group on probation in the Essex Probation Trust area subsequently reoffended in 2010;
	(2)  what the 10 most frequently committed offences by (a) men and (b) women on probation within Essex Probation Trust were in 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Wright: Reoffending rates for adult offenders sentenced to a community order remain stubbornly high and more needs to be done to address this.
	The Ministry of Justice produces and publishes proven reoffending data for offenders starting a court order over a 12-month period, and reoffending for these offenders is based on a 12-month follow-up period. Table 1 presents, by age band, the number of male and female adults (aged 18 or over) who commenced a court order supervised by Essex Probation Trust in the 12 months from January to December 2010. Also presented is the number that reoffended in the one year follow-up period, and proven reoffending rates (i.e. the proportion of the offenders who reoffended in a one year follow-up period).
	Table 2 presents, by age band, the 10 most frequent proven re-offences committed by male and female adult offenders within 12 months of starting a court order supervised by Essex Probation Trust in the 12 months from January to December 2010.
	Proven reoffending is defined as any offence committed in a one-year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow-up period and a further six-month waiting period to allow cases to progress through the courts.
	
		
			 Table 1: Proven reoffending data for male and female adult offenders in England and Wales who started a court order supervised by Essex Probation Trust in 2010, by age group 
			      
			 Gender Age group Number of offenders in cohort(1) Number of reoffenders Proportion of offenders who reoffend (%) 
			 Male 18 to 20 559 243 43.5 
			  21 to 24 615 220 35.8 
			  25 to 29 549 224 40.8 
			  30 to 34 416 138 33.2 
			  35 to 39 375 115 30.7 
			  40 to 44 307 92 30.0 
			  45 to 49 200 45 22.5 
			  50+ 239 34 14.2 
			  Total 3,260 1,111 34.1 
			      
			 Female 18 to 20 76 27 35.5 
			  21 to 24 89 31 34.8 
			  25 to 29 113 37 32.7 
			  30 to 34 87 27 31.0 
			  35 to 39 97 22 22.7 
			  40 to 44 85 13 15.3 
			  45 to 49 59 11 18.6 
		
	
	
		
			  50+ 56 5 8.9 
			  Total 662 173 26.1 
			 (1) The group of offenders for whom reoffending is measured does not represent all proven offenders. Offenders who started a court order are matched to the police national computer database and a certain proportion of these offenders cannot be matched. These unmatched offenders are, therefore, excluded from the proven reoffending measure. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Ten most frequent proven re-offences committed by male and female adult offenders(1) who started a court order supervised by Essex Probation Trust in 2010 
			  Offence 
			  Male Female 
			 1. Theft Theft 
			 2. Violence—non serious Violence—non serious 
			 3. Public Order or Riot Public Order or Riot 
			 4. Other Motoring Offences Absconding or Bail Offences 
			 5. Drugs (Possession/Small Scale Supply) Fraud and Forgery 
			 6. Criminal or Malicious Damage Drugs (Possession/Small Scale Supply) 
			 7. Absconding or Bail Offences Other Motoring Offences 
			 8. Fraud and Forgery Drugs (Import/Export/Production/Supply) 
			 9. Drink Driving Offences Criminal or Malicious Damage 
			 10. Drugs (Import/Export/Production/Supply) Handling 
			 (1) The group of offenders for whom reoffending is measured does not represent all proven offenders. Offenders who started a court order are matched to the police national computer database and a certain proportion of these offenders cannot be matched. These unmatched offenders are, therefore, excluded from the proven reoffending measure.

Sentencing: West Yorkshire

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  whether a breach of an order made under the post sentence assessment trial being run by West Yorkshire Probation in partnership with West Yorkshire Courts Service is dealt with in the same way as a breach of other current orders;
	(2)  whether the post sentence assessment trial being run by West Yorkshire Probation in partnership with West Yorkshire Courts Service applies to suspended custodial sentences;
	(3)  what the cost to the public purse is of the post sentence assessment trial being run by West Yorkshire Probation in partnership with West Yorkshire Courts Service;
	(4)  whether pre-sentence reports are being prepared in relevant cases during the post sentence assessment trial being run by West Yorkshire Probation in partnership with West Yorkshire Courts Service;
	(5)  how the effectiveness of the post-sentence assessment trial being run by West Yorkshire Probation in partnership with West Yorkshire Courts Service will be assessed.

Jeremy Wright: Post-sentence assessment (PSA) is the operating model introduced by the West Yorkshire Probation Trust and HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) on 1 January 2012.
	The trust continues to prepare pre-sentence reports at the request of the court. Where an offender receives a community order or a suspended sentence order, the court imposes a generic activity requirement, the specific content of which is then determined by the probation officer through the PSA process.
	The aim of this process is to shape the detailed requirements of the sentence so as to promote compliance and reduce reoffending.
	Where an offender breaches the terms of the order, the steps to be taken are set out in legislation and must be undertaken in all cases.
	PSA is funded as part of the core work of the trust. It was adopted as a more cost-effective operating model and has helped the trust and the local criminal justice service to improve efficiency.
	An evaluation by the research team at the West Yorkshire Probation Trust found that PSA has delivered efficiency savings, reduced the number of breaches and court adjournments, streamlined court reporting and brought about a closer match between the proposals made to courts and the sentences passed.

Telephone Services

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many telephone lines with the prefix (a) 0845, (b) 0844 and (c) 0843 his Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls each number has received in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at the BT local rate are available in each case.

Shailesh Vara: The information held centrally for the public use of (a) 0845, (b) 0844 and (c) 0843 telephone numbers operated (i) and (ii) sponsored by the Ministry of Justice are as follows:
	(a) 0845 numbers—33
	(b) 0844 numbers—2
	(c) 0843 numbers—0
	There are no central records for the number of calls that each number has received within the last 12 months. Discussions with our service providers indicate that the work required for the retrieval and collation of information can be obtained only at significantly disproportionate time and cost.
	There are eight alternative national rate numbers available.
	The Department's approach is not to use 084 or 087 for non-geographic numbers and instead, wherever possible, to assign 0300 numbers, for which the tariff is similar to calling an 01 or 02 (geographic) number, whether the caller is using a fixed line or a mobile phone. The Department currently uses forty-one 0300 numbers, and is in the process of changing more 0845 numbers to 0300. No public-facing premium rate (09) numbers are used by the Department.

Television: Licensing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions have been brought against individuals under the provisions of subsection 8 of section 366 of the Communications Act 2003 in each year since that section has been in force.

Jeremy Wright: Data on prosecutions under section 366 of the Communications Act 2003 cannot be analysed separately from other summary offences under that Act prior to 2009 because of central data recording issues.
	The number of defendants proceeded against for offences under section 366 of the Communications Act, England and Wales, from 2009 to 2012 (the latest available) can be viewed in the table:
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences under section 366 of the Communications Act 2003, England and Wales, 2009 to 2012(1,2) 
			 Offence description 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Obstructing or failing to give assistance to person who has power to examine or test any TV receiver on premises or in vehicle 3 1 4 (3)— 
			 (1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice (3) Nil

Television: Licensing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many warrants have been (a) applied for and (b) granted under the provisions of section 366 of the Communications Act 2003 to enforce TV licensing in each year since that section came into force.

Shailesh Vara: HMCTS does not collate this information centrally. Warrants of entry are issued by magistrates courts and each magistrates court that issues warrants maintains the data associated with it in a manual log. Courts are required to hold warrants issued for a period of three years. Only manual checks at every magistrate's court could answer this request, and even then only for the last three years. This would incur disproportionate cost.

Youth Custody

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the cost per day is of accommodation for a young person in a (a) young offender institution, (b) secure training centre and (c) secure children's home.

Jeremy Wright: We are currently spending too much on youth custody for poor outcomes. Earlier this year we consulted on our vision for transforming youth custody. This will tackle high costs and help equip young offenders with the necessary skills, qualifications and self-discipline that they need to access education, training and employment opportunities upon release. We will shortly be announcing our response to the Transforming Youth Custody consultation.
	Table 1 shows the average cost of a place per day in a (a) Secure Training Centre, (b) Secure Children's Home and (c) under-18 Young Offender Institution in each of the last five financial years.
	
		
			 Table 1: Average sector bed cost per day 
			 £ 
			 Financial year Secure Training Centres Secure Children's Homes Under-18 Young Offender Institutions 
			 2009-10 438 589 164 
			 2010-11 447 600 162 
			 2011-12 466 578 156 
			 2012-13 488 581 164 
			 2013-14 512 573 164 
			 Note: All prices are averages based upon Youth Justice Board (YJB) budget allocations for the financial year in question and are correct as of 1 April for each respective year. They are prices which the YJB and MOJ pay for those services in young people's, secure custodial facilities. They are not intended to represent the total price of providing custody and related services to young people as they exclude other costs associated with custody such as: Education costs in under-18 Young Offender Institutions Secure and custodial transport for young people Service development programmes such as workforce and regime development—e.g. new restraint system VAT paid by the YJB (on applicable services) Source: Children and Young People's Estate Average Sector Prices (Youth Justice Board) 
		
	
	The rise in the cost of STC places is in line with inflation, in accordance with the contracts for these institutions signed between 1997 and 2003,

CABINET OFFICE

Community Development

Robert Syms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people are able to get more involved in helping their local communities; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The Cabinet Office is taking a range of action to encourage people to get involved in their communities. Some examples of our work are listed as follows.
	Our Community First and Community Organisers programmes empower people to take action on community issues. Volunteer Community First Panels have already funded £14 million of projects in over 600 communities and this has been matched this with £48.5 million of in-kind donations—including 2.4 million volunteering hours.
	The National Citizen Service has supported 31,500 young people to take action in their communities this summer alone. In 2012 over 460,000 hours of social action were completed by participants. Cabinet Office has just launched a £2 million fund for social action programmes to support vulnerable and disengaged young people. Altogether, we have committed £40 million through the Centre for Social Action to encourage people to create positive change in their communities.
	We continue to make it easier for people to get involved in their communities by implementing the recommendations of Lord Hodgson's 'Unshackling Good Neighbours' review; and by supporting the transition to new ownership of Do-It, a national database of volunteering opportunities.

Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many households were classed as having never worked in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many households were classed as having never worked in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available. 176015
	Estimates have been provided from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) household datasets. They show the estimated number of households which never worked for the UK in April to June in 2010 was 351,000 and 297,000 in April to June in 2013.
	It was not possible to provide a single month estimate for April as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a quarterly survey with household datasets produced for the April-June and October-December quarters only.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children were living in workless households in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many children were living in workless households in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available. 176112
	Estimates have been provided from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) household datasets. They show the estimated number of children living in workless households for the UK in April to June in 2010 was 1.900,000 and 1.600,000 in 2013.
	It was not possible to provide a single month estimate for April as the Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a quarterly survey with household datasets produced for the April-June and October-December quarters only.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Employment: Poole

Robert Syms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what change there has been in the number of people in employment in Poole constituency from 2010 to November 2013.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what change there has been in the number of people in employment in Poole constituency from 2010 to November 2013. (176248)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	The table shows the number and net change of people employed in Poole Parliamentary Constituency. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period July 2012 to June 2013, the latest period available, and theM2 month periods ending in June in each year since 2010.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: The net change in the number of people in employment in Poole constituency 
			 Thousands 
			 12 months ending: Number of people employed aged 16 and over Net change in employment(1) (+/-) 
			 June 2010 41 — 
			 June 2011 41 -1 
			 June 2012 43 2 
			 June 2013(2) 46 **4 
			 (1) The net change is calculated on unrounded figures. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality as follows. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220 Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ? 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey and Annual Labour Force Survey

Government Departments: Cost Effectiveness

Robert Syms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress the Efficiency and Reform Group is making in delivering the Government's savings target in 2013-14.

Francis Maude: I was pleased to announce that the Efficiency and Reform Group supported Departments to deliver savings of £5.4 billion for the first six months of this year. This saving excludes fraud, error and debt, but is a 73% increase on savings delivered over the same period for 2012-13 and I am extremely proud of the hard work officials across Whitehall have undertaken to achieve this success.
	Further information on this is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-savings-reach-54-billion-at-mid-year-point
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-savings-in-2013-to-2014
	Wherever possible, savings generated are in respect of a 2009-10 baseline and represent the impact of actions taken across a number of areas to deliver cash releasing savings and prevent wasteful project spend.

Government Departments: Disclosure of Information

Robert Syms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department is taking to promote openness and transparency in Government; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: A few weeks ago, the UK hosted this year's Open Government Partnership (OGP) summit. At the summit we published an updated OGP UK National Action Plan (NAP). This action plan includes a range of commitments and is available online here:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/open-government-partnership-uk-national-action-plan-2013
	Our transparency and open data agenda is focused on getting quality open data out of government and into the public's hands and bringing the power of open data to a wider audience.
	Our successes to date include making available over 12,000 datasets through data.gov.uk and identifying unpublished datasets for consideration of release. We are world leaders in the field of transparency but know there is more to do. We are currently considering the recommendations made in the OGP Independent Reporting Mechanism report, which is available here:
	www.opengovpartnership.org/independent-reporting-mechanism

Prostate Cancer

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many men in each recorded age group die from prostate cancer each year.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many men in each recorded age group die from prostate cancer in each year. (176111)
	Table 1 provides the number of deaths in each five year age group where prostate cancer was the underlying cause of death, in England and Wales, for deaths registered between 2003 and 2012 (the latest year available).
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and underlying cause (including cancer), are published annually on the ONS website at:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475
	
		
			 Table 1. Number of deaths where the underlying cause was prostate cancer, England and Wales, deaths registered between 2003 and 2012(1,2,3) 
			 Deaths (males) 
			 Age (years) 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 05 to 09 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 10 to 14 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 15 to 19 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 
			 20 to 24 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 25 to 29 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 
			 30 to 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 35 to 39 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 
			 40 to 44 4 5 3 5 3 0 6 6 0 2 
			 45 to 49 18 14 16 13 10 15 14 12 15 15 
			 50 to 54 55 67 45 49 64 58 51 50 51 50 
			 55 to 59 176 188 190 188 178 122 154 167 159 151 
			 60 to 64 399 371 359 357 420 431 422 396 443 369 
			 65 to 69 761 705 704 730 681 703 673 696 725 713 
			 70 to 74 1,266 1,279 1,280 1,193 1,165 1,198 1,228 1,182 1,194 1,130 
			 75 to 79 1,842 1,880 1,740 1,795 1,765 1,720 1,801 1,740 1,694 1,658 
			 80 to 84 2,197 2,263 2,159 2,107 2,162 2,018 2,121 2,203 2,121 2,184 
			 85 and over 2,442 2,395 2,520 2,618 2,781 2,890 2,931 3,186 3,265 3,426 
			 All ages 9,160 9,167 9,017 9,057 9,230 9,157 9,402 9,638 9,671 9,698 
			 (1) Underlying cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C61 (Malignant neoplasm of prostate). (2 )Figures include deaths to non-residents. (3) Figures are based on deaths registered rather than deaths occurring in a calendar year. Further information on registration delays for a range of causes including prostate cancer can be found on the ONS website: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/health-and-life-events/impact-of-registration-delays-on-mortality-statistics/index.html

Unemployment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were classed as being in re-occurring unemployment in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated November 2013
	On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office the number of people classed as being in recurring unemployment in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available. 176013
	Estimates for recurring unemployment are not available. Unemployment estimates are derived from data collected in the Labour Force Survey but the survey does not contain any questions relating to respondents’ previous unemployment spells.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Unemployment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were (a) unemployed and (b) in underemployment in (i) April 2010 and (ii) the most recent date for which data is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated November 2013
	On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office the number of people who were (a) unemployed and (b) in underemployment in (i) April 2010 and (ii) the most recent date for which data is available. 176098
	For the three-month period April to June 2010, the estimated number of unemployed people aged 16 and over in the UK was 2.471 million. This compares with 2.514 million for the same period in 2013 and 2.466 million for July to September 2013, the latest available. These figures are on a seasonally adjusted basis and are published in Table 1 of the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin.
	The estimated number of people in employment aged 16 and over who were classified as in time-related underemployment for the three-month period April to June 2010 was 2.740 million. This represented 9.6% of all people in employment whose underemployment status was known. The estimate for the same period in 2013, the latest available on a comparable basis, was 3.080 million, or 10.6% as a rate. These estimates are on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. They are not published routinely although these latest estimates were published in a response to an ad hoc data request on 24 October 2013.
	Time-related underemployment relates to those workers who are employed but who either wish to work more hours in their current rote or who are looking for either an additional job or a replacement job which offers more hours. Also, they must be able to start working the extra hours within the next two weeks. As a final condition, they must be currently working less than 40 hours per week if they are aged 16 to 18 and less than 48 hours if they are over 18.
	Estimates derived from the Labour Force Survey, as with any sample survey, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the sampling variability of the LFS aggregates are published in the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. For the total unemployment level, the 95% confidence interval for the latest estimate is +/-87,000. For the time-related underemployment estimates, the 95% confidence interval is approximately +/-100,000.

Unemployment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many unemployed young adults there were in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Peter Fullerton, dated November 2013
	On behalf of the Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office the number of unemployed young adults in (a) April 2010 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available. 176099
	For the three month period centred on April, that is, the period March to May 2010, the estimated number of people aged 16 to 24 in the UK who were unemployed was 942,000. For the latest period, July to September 2013, the estimate is 965,000.
	For people aged 18 to 24 only, the equivalent estimates are 723,000 for March to May 2010 and 782,000 for July to September 2013.
	These estimates are seasonally adjusted and are published in Table A05 of the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin. The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey and, as with any sample survey, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. For the above estimates for 16 to 24 year olds, the 95% confidence interval is approximately +/-60,000. For the estimates for 18 to 24 year olds the 95% confidence interval is approximately +/-50,000.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy Companies Obligation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress energy suppliers have made to date, in terms of the proportion of measures approved, towards meeting their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Carbon Saving Community Obligation of the Energy Companies Obligation.

Gregory Barker: Phases 1 and 2 cover the period 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2014. Ofgem reported that, as of the end of September 2013, energy companies had collectively delivered 16.3% of their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Carbon Saving Community Obligation within the Energy Company Obligation. This information is available on the Ofgem website at:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/energy-companies-obligation-eco-compliance-update-november-2013
	In addition, companies had notified a large number of measures which had not yet been approved. Ofgem published details of individual obligated suppliers' progress against their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under all the elements of the Energy Company Obligation on 8 November. This information is available on the Ofgem website:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/84352/ecocomplianceupdate-october2013quarterlyannexv1.pdf

Energy Companies Obligation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress energy suppliers have made to date, in terms of the proportion of measures approved, towards meeting their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation of the Energy Companies Obligation.

Gregory Barker: Phases 1 and 2 cover the period 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2014. Ofgem reported that, as of the end of September 2013, energy companies had collectively delivered 3% of their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Obligation within the Energy Company Obligation. This information is available on the Ofgem website at:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/energy-companies-obligation-eco-compliance-update-november-2013
	In addition, companies had notified a large number of measures which had not yet been approved. Ofgem published details of individual obligated suppliers' progress against their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under all the elements of the Energy Company Obligation on 8 November. This information is available on the Ofgem website at:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/84352/ecocomplianceupdate-october2013quarterlyannexv1.pdf

Energy Companies Obligation

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of energy suppliers' phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the home heating cost reduction obligation of the Energy Companies Obligation have been met to date.

Gregory Barker: Phases 1 and 2 cover the period 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2014. Ofgem reported that, as of the end of September 2013, energy companies had collectively delivered 24.7% of their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under the Home Heating Cost Reduction Obligation within the Energy Company Obligation. This information is available on the Ofgem website at:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications-and-updates/energy-companies-obligation-eco-compliance-update-november-2013
	In addition, companies had notified a large number of measures which had not yet been approved.
	Ofgem published details of individual obligated suppliers' progress against their phase 1 and phase 2 obligations under all the elements of the Energy Company Obligation on 8 November, This information is available on the Ofgem website:
	https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ofgem-publications/84352/ecocomplianceupdate-october2013quarterlyannexv1.pdf

Green Deal Scheme

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2013, Official Report, column 285, what the evidential basis is for his statement that 8 per cent of people who have had green deal assessments have had work done, are getting it done, or are considering having it done.

Gregory Barker: As the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), said in his answer of 6 November 2013, Official Report, column 285, the Green Deal assessments research wave 2, published in September 2013, found that 81% of households that had an assessment had installed, were in the process or intended to install at least one recommended measure. This survey was undertaken with a representative sample of 499 households that had an assessment between April and June.

Reviews

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what departmental policy reviews his Department has undertaken since 12 December 2011; and when each such review (a) was announced and (b) is expected to publish its findings.

Gregory Barker: The Department is committed to monitoring, evaluating and reviewing its policies, and conducts regular reviews of policies which impact consumers and business, many of which have been subject to public consultation, as well as periodic sectoral reviews such as the recent Wood Review into offshore oil and gas production.
	Detailed information on DECC's policy reviews, consultations and publications is available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-energy-climate-change

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Job Creation

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of new jobs created since 2010 were (a) advertised through employment agencies, (b) generated through self-employment contracts and (c) on the basis of zero hours contracts.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of new jobs created since 2010 were (a) advertised through employment agencies, (b) generated through self-employment contracts and (c) on the basis of zero hours contracts. (175834)
	Information on jobs created is not collected for official statistics purposes. In accordance with the usual policy for answering such questions, estimates of the net changes in jobs or employment are normally provided as an alternative. However, in this case, estimates for jobs advertised through employment agencies are not available due to a lack of the required detail and estimates for people on zero hours contracts are currently of insufficient quality for general use.
	For self-employment contracts, the most appropriate alternative is the net change in the total number of people who classify themselves as self-employed according to the Labour Force Survey, as published in Table 3 of the monthly Labour Market Statistical Bulletin.
	The total number of self-employed people aged 16 and over for the three-month period July to September 2013, the latest available, was 4.197 million (seasonally adjusted). This is 181,000 higher than the total for the period July to September 2010. Over the same period total employment increased by 780,000 to 29.953 million. The change in the self-employed represents 23 per cent of the overall change in employment over the last three years, although this is not a direct representation of the proportion of new jobs created.
	Estimates derived from the Labour Force Survey, as with any sample survey, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Indications of the sampling variability of the LFS aggregates are published in the Statistical Bulletin.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what EU Directives within her Department's areas of responsibility have come into force without the need for an opt-in decision in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive came into force; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: There have been no such EU Directives within my Department's areas of responsibility.

Forests: Climate Change

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 4 November 2013, Official Report, column 7W, on Forests: Climate Change, whether the business case for the Forests and Climate Change programme will be approved before the House's Christmas recess.

Lynne Featherstone: The business case is going through an internal quality assurance procedure and will be presented in the new year.

Mali

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) ODA and (b) non-ODA aid has been allocated to be spent in Mali in 2013 and in subsequent years.

Lynne Featherstone: DFID has no bilateral aid programme for Mali, but has a growing regional programme of humanitarian and development assistance for the Sahel. We have allocated £48 million of humanitarian aid to be spent in 2013 across five countries in the region: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad. The Department has also committed to spend £110 million on building resilience in the Sahel over the next four years—providing support both through the World Bank and through NGOs that will strengthen poor communities’ ability to cope with food insecurity and climatic shocks.
	An allocation of £1 million was made to Mali from the tri-departmental Conflict Pool for this financial year. The UK through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has provided non-ODA assistance to Mali specifically through multilateral mechanisms: in support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); to the EU Training Mission (EUTM); and with a £2 million contribution to the UN Trust Fund for Peace and Security in Mali.
	At the Brussels donor conference on Mali held in May 2013, the international community pledged around £2.6 billion to support the government's Plan for the Sustainable Recovery of Mali 2013-14 (PRED). Total net ODA to Mali was $1,271 million in 2011, the latest year for which data is available.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance she gives to tackling elephant poaching and illegal trafficking of ivory in sub-Saharan Africa.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK's response to the recent increase in illegal wildlife trafficking (IWT) is being led by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson). DFID is working with other Government Departments to prepare the planned high-level summit and associated dialogue with key actors next year.

TREASURY

Buildings

Michael Dugher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what refurbishments to his Department's buildings have been carried out in the last 24 months; and at what cost.

Nicky Morgan: Refurbishment works totalling some £8.5 million (excluding VAT) have been carried out in the last 24 months to support increased occupancy of 1 Horse Guards road.

Corporation Tax

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies were granted dormant company status by HM Revenue and Customs and were therefore advised that they did not need to submit corporation tax returns in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: It is a question of fact whether a company is within the charge to Corporation Tax because it has activities which might constitute a source of taxable income. Companies are required by law (Section 55 Finance Act 2004) to notify HMRC when they come within the charge to the tax and there is a penalty for failure to do so (Paragraph 2 Schedule 18 Finance Act 1998). Corporation Tax is operated under self-assessment but HMRC considers information from other sources about a company's activities and requires a return where there is doubt.
	No central record is kept by HMRC of occasions when it has advised that a return might not be required, for example when acknowledging notifications that a company is not within the charge to tax.

Inflation

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) retail prices index and (b) consumer price index of inflation over the next three financial years.

Nicky Morgan: The independent Office for Budgetary Responsibility produces the official inflation forecasts for the UK economy. Forecasts for consumer prices index and retail prices index inflation were published in the OBR's March 2013 “Economic and Fiscal Outlook” and are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 OBR March 2013 forecast for annual CPI and RPI inflation 
			 Calendar year: CPI annual inflation RPI annual inflation 
			 2014 2.4 2.8 
			 2015 2.1 3.2 
			 2016 2.0 3.6

National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of administering the national insurance contributions holiday has been in each year since 2010.

David Gauke: holding answer 31 October 2013
	I refer the hon. Member to the comments in the House by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Nicky Morgan), 4 November 2013, Official Report, column 77. The estimated cost of administering the national insurance contributions holiday from the start of the scheme to September 2013 was £770,000.

Personal Income

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate by how much the weekly income of a couple-headed household with one person in work and two children would increase if the personal income tax allowance was increased to (a) £11,000, (b) £12,000 and (c) £12,500.

David Gauke: holding answer 17 October 2013
	The change in weekly income resulting from an increase in the personal income tax allowance varies widely depending on the circumstances of a household. Specifically, weekly income depends on the level and source of earnings. Furthermore, they may receive different amounts of state benefits, depending on several individual circumstances, such as disabilities, age of dependent children in the household, and tenure type.

Public Sector: Pensions

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the change in the value of public service pension schemes following the change in the indexation measure from the retail prices index to the consumer price index.

Nicky Morgan: The Whole of Government Accounts for 2010-11 showed that the value of public service pension liabilities decreased by £126 billion as a result of the Government's preferred measure of price inflation switching from RPI to CPI, with the overall liability decreasing from £1,135 billion to £960 billion.

Revenue and Customs

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful criminal prosecutions were brought as a result of investigations by HM Revenue and Customs in 2009-10.

David Gauke: holding answer 8 October 2013
	The number of prosecutions, convictions and acquittals resulting from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigations in 2009-10 are shown in the following table.
	This cannot be compared to PQ 168226 that I answered on 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 685W. The data collected for 2009-10 were collated by the Crown Prosecution Service in a different format to that for the following years.
	The analysis of the raw case data has had to be split between Criminal Investigation (CI) and the former Referred Investigation Teams (RIT) who were based at ports and airports and moved to the UK Border Agency upon the demerger of HMRC in June 2009. The totals for 2009-10 include data for drugs, firearms and other prohibitions and restrictions up to the date of demerger.
	Data provided in my answer to PQ 168226 about later years do not include such information as, following the demerger; drugs, firearms, etc. are no longer matters assigned to HMRC.
	
		
			 2009-10 
			 Regime Prosecutions Convictions Acquittals 
			 CI 286 255 38 
			 RIT 493 636 56 
			 Total 779 891 94

Revenue and Customs

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were recruited to HM Revenue and Customs' graduate programme in each year since 2010-11; and how many he expects to be recruited in each year between 2013-14 and 2015-16.

David Gauke: holding answer 10 October 2013
	Graduates come into HMRC via two recruitment routes:
	1. The Tax Professional Development Programme (TPDP)
	2. Civil Service Fast Stream—Fast Stream Assessment Centre (FSAC)
	1. The Tax Professional Development Programme (TPDP) is an intense four year graduate entry training scheme producing the future senior tax professionals for HMRC. New entrants start in the September of each year.
	
		
			 September Number recruited 
			 2008 71 
			 2009 83 
			 2010 88 
			 2011 21 
			 2012 202 
			 2013 195 
			   
			 Expected  
			 2014 120 
			 2015 120 
		
	
	Some of the new entrants, due to prior qualification, join the accelerated programme one year shorter.

Revenue and Customs

Ian Lavery: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and the Public and Commercial Services Union regarding the decision to close HM Revenue and Custom's enquiry centre network.

David Gauke: Ministers and senior officials within HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) meet with a variety of representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union on a regular basis, to discuss the potential impacts of the proposed closure of the enquiry centres on both customers and staff.
	A decision on whether to close the HMRC enquiry centres and introduce the proposed new service nationally has not yet been made. The decision is expected in early 2014, once the results of the public consultation and the current pilot have been fully evaluated.

Secondment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many private sector employees have been seconded by the private sector to his Department; what the name was of the company from which they were seconded; and whether any of those employees have worked on drafting legislation.

Nicky Morgan: As at November 2013, the number of private sector employees seconded into HM Treasury is 12. The names of the companies from which they have been seconded are:
	DeloitteTouche
	Prudential
	Gardiner and Theobald
	KPMG
	Rothschilds
	Royal Academy of Engineering
	Price Waterhouse Coopers
	Monitor—Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts
	Costain Limited
	Carillion Construction Limited
	The information requested on whether any of the staff seconded into the Department have worked on drafting legislation is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Allowances: Married People

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of married couples will benefit from the married couples tax allowance announced on 30 September 2013.

David Gauke: holding answer 1 November 2013
	An estimated 4.1 million married couples stand to gain from the married couples' tax allowance in 2015-16.
	Estimates are derived from the 2011-12 Family Resources Survey projected forward to 2015-16 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2013 economic and fiscal outlook.

Tax Allowances: Married People

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families with children will benefit from the married couples tax allowance announced on 30 September 2013; and what proportion this is of (a) the total number of families with children in the UK and (b) the total number of couples set to benefit from the married couples tax allowance.

David Gauke: holding answer 1 November 2013
	An estimated 1.3 million families with children stand to gain from the married couples tax allowance in 2015-16. This is roughly one-sixth of the total number of families with children currently in the UK and just under one-third of the 4.1 million couples set to benefit from the married couples tax allowance.
	Estimates are derived from the 2011 -12 Family Resources Survey projected forward to 2015-16 using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility's March 2013 economic and fiscal outlook.
	This policy is about signalling the value that the Government places upon marriage as an institution regardless of couples' choices to have children.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Qualifications

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Attorney-General how many people employed by the Law Officers' Departments hold a (a) bachelor's, (b) master's and (c) PhD-level degree in computer science; and if he will make a statement.

Oliver Heald: The Law Officers' Departments do not hold any detailed records on the numbers of staff who may hold an information technology degree. Such information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

Death: Young People

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the five principal causes of death in young people aged 18 to 30 years old.

Jane Ellison: In March 2013 the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation produced a United Kingdom, synopsis of the Global Burden of Disease Study this assessed the principle causes of death for the entire population of the UK with some analysis of age specific risk factors. The study can be found at:
	www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)60355-4/abstract
	Following the findings of this study, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), launched a Call to Action asking the whole of the health and care system to avoid an additional 30,000 premature deaths per year by 2020 by addressing the five big killers.
	The document, “Living Well for Longer: a Call to Action to reduce avoidable premature mortality”, has already been placed in the Library, and can be found at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/living-well-for-longer-a-call-to-action-to-reduce-avoidable-premature-mortality
	It is also worth noting that the Health Atlas on NHS Choices provides data and information on the main causes of death at a range of age ranges:
	www.nhs.uk/tools/pages/nhsatlasofrisk.aspx

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health to which EU Directives within his Department's areas of responsibility the Government has formally opted into in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive was signed; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Details of all European Union Directives that the United Kingdom has opted into pursuant to Protocol 21 to the Treaties on the Functioning of the EU since May 2010 are listed on the Government's Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) opt-in web page.
	The website can be found at:
	www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/206297/2_JHA_opt-in_webpage_update_-_data_v0_l.pdf
	In the Minister for Europe, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), written ministerial statement of 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 51-52WS, the Government committed to a number of measures to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny of JHA measures, in particular to make written statements to Parliament on each opt-in decision and to set aside Government time for debates in both Houses in circumstances where there is particularly strong parliamentary interest in an opt-in decision.

EU Law

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what EU Directives within his Department's areas of responsibility have come into force without the need for an opt-in decision in each financial year since May 2010; on what dates each such directive came into force; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: Details of all European Union legislation, including full details of all EU Directives that have come into force since May 2010, can be found on the Commission's website:
	http://eur-lex.europa.eu/RECH_legislation.do
	The Government's position is that the United Kingdom's Justice and Home Affairs opt-in applies to all measures adopted pursuant to Title V of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, as set out in Protocol 21 to the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. It follows that the opt-in does not apply to measures adopted that are not pursuant to Title V of Part Three of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU.

Horse Meat

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions have taken place in the UK as a result of horsemeat being sold as beef.

Jane Ellison: To date no one has been charged by the police, however investigations are on-going.

Public Health England

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the current (a) budget, (b) number of staff employed and (c) budget for staff salaries is for Public Health England.

Jane Ellison: The total current budget for Public Health England (PHE) in 2013-14 is £3,558 million. Of this, £2,662 million is funding which flows out to local authorities in the form of the public health grants. The remaining cost of PHE is thus £896 million.
	The number of staff employed in September 2013 was 5,065 against a budgeted headcount of 5,662.
	The budget for staff salaries, including secondments and agency staff for the full financial year is £304.2 million.

Qualifications

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people employed by his Department hold a (a) bachelor's, (b) master's and (c) PhD-level degree in computer science; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold central records about the number of civil servants employed who hold qualifications in computer science.
	To collect information on this from across the Department would incur disproportionate costs.

Stress

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 6 November 2013, Official Report, column 252W, on stress, what assessment he has made of the research carried out by the NIHR Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit.

Daniel Poulter: The Department has assessed the current status of the research carried out by the National Institute for Health Research Cardiovascular biomedical research unit at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College London on whether stress induced ischaemia can result in elevation of cardiac troponin.
	Data from the study are currently under statistical review and will be submitted for publication shortly.

Tuberculosis

Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with NHS England regarding the formulation of a national strategy for tuberculosis;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the progress being made in formulating a national strategy for tuberculosis; and whether that strategy has the necessary (a) financial and (b) other support to bring about a significant reduction in cases.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England is leading a national oversight group which brings together partners from the Department, NHS England, local government, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), British Thoracic Society and TB Alert to develop a strategy to decrease tuberculosis (TB) rates in England over the next 10 years. The Department will continue to support Public Health England in giving national policy leadership, ensuring that there is a co-ordinated approach to TB. Public Health England expects to publish the strategy in the first half of 2014.
	The national health service and public health system reforms have provided opportunities for more integrated commissioning and provision of services driven by health and well-being boards, in partnership with clinical commissioning groups, NHS England, Public Health England and service providers. Local healthcare organisations are best placed to plan for and deliver care appropriate for their populations.
	The Department and the NICE have published supporting guidance. The Department is also funding TB Alert, to raise public and professional awareness of TB. We expect NHS organisations and their partners to ensure early detection, treatment completion and co-ordinated action to prevent and control TB.